getting started
Posted by on 25 Sep 2008 at 08:35 PM
$5.00
Graphic Design / AfterEffects
It's great that you volunteer to answer questions,thank you. I have many but I'll start with some basic info. How do I set up the layout for a comic strip? What size frame? How many frames? I want to work on my computer but haven't found any info on how to do that. All I have found is on hand drawing then scanning in. I want to set up layouts on my PC to build strips from. My background is in fine art, textile design, and CAD. Any info would be apprieciated.
Accepted Answer:
| Answer provided by admin on 25 Sep 2008 at 08:35 PM Hi Carol, :)
You're very welcome. I'm glad I can help out.
There's no hard and fast rule for the number of panels. Four seems to be predominant, but not overwhelmingly.
Most newspaper comic strips are printed about 6 inches wide by 1.84 inches deep. Most cartoonists work about twice that big (reducing the art can improve the quality of the line).
So, you would set up your original template along these lines for a four-panel strip:
13 inches across by 4 inches deep for the entire image. Each panel will be about 3 wide by 4 inches deep. The gutters between the panels will be about 1/4 inch.
Final art will be 6 x 1.84 inches, with each panel being 1.4 inches wide by 1.84 inches deep. Gutters are 3/16 inches.
To prepare for a three-panel strip, the panel widths would become about 4.16 inches wide.
You will probably work on your computer one way or the other – even if you draw the image by hand with traditional pen-and-ink. Once you're done, you will scan it and use the computer to process the image so it will be useable by your clients (syndicates, newspapers, greeting card companies, etc.).
I have some great tips on scanning and processing here: http://www.allexperts.com/previousqv.asp?QuestionID=2766351
It's midway down the page, but it's worth the searching. :)
Assuming you're not doing traditional pen-and-ink, you seem to have two choices: Drawing the image in a vector-based graphics software or using a WACOM tablet to draw images in a pixel-based software setting.
Both methods are pretty straight-forward. If you have specific questions, don't hesitate to post them and I'll do my best to help out. :) |
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